That which was from the beginning,^a which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,^b which we have looked at and our hands have touched^c—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared;^d we have seen it and testify to it,^e and we proclaim to you the eternal life,^f which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,^g so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^h We write thisⁱ to make our joy complete.^j

Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness

This is the message we have heard^a from him and declare to you: God is light;^b in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness,^c we lie and do not live out the truth.^d But if we walk in the light,^e as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.^f

If we claim to be without sin,^g we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.^h If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sinsⁱ and purify us from all unrighteousness.^j If we claim we have not sinned,^k we make him out to be a liar^l and his word is not in us.^m

Read in Logos

Cross references

a Jn 1:2
b Lk 24:48; Jn 1:14; 19:35; Ac 4:20; 2Pe 1:16; 1Jn 4:14
c Jn 20:27
d Jn 1:1–4; 11:25; 14:6; 1Ti 3:16; 1Pe 1:20; 1Jn 3:5,8
e Jn 15:27
f Mt 25:46
g ver 1
h 1Co 1:9
i 1Jn 2:1
j Jn 3:29
a 1Jn 3:11
b 1Ti 6:16
c Jn 3:19–21; 8:12; 2Co 6:14; Eph 5:8; 1Jn 2:11
d Jn 3:19–21; 1Jn 2:4; 4:20
e Isa 2:5
f Heb 9:14; Rev 1:5; 7:14
g Pr 20:9; Jer 2:35; Ro 3:9–19; Jas 3:2
h Jn 8:44; 1Jn 2:4
i Ps 32:5; 51:2; Pr 28:13
jver 7; Mic 7:18–20; Heb 10:22
kver 8
l 1Jn 5:10
m Jn 5:38; 1Jn 2:14